Second Chef

Job summary

Ready for a chef role that lets you unleash your creativity? If so, join The Spinney as a Second Chef working alongside a dedicated team. Become a crucial part of the kitchen team working 37.5 a week, crafting daily meals for service users, staff and visitors. Dive into food preparation and elevate your role by providing guidance and training to your peers. Heres the exciting part- the calendar is buzzing with activities, events and special occasions which youll also cater for. From World Food Day to festive moments like Christmas and Easter, you get to infuse your own flair and keep things exciting. Its a calm and pleasurable working environment, where youll be able to manage your workload and enjoy creating delicious meals. Theres a great social aspect to this role where you can interact with people outside the kitchen regularly. Just imagine great job satisfaction, home in time for dinner every night and two days off a week. Now thats a recipe for a balanced work-life combo. As a Chef you will be: Supporting the Head Chef for the day-to-day running of the kitchen. Maintaining good food storage procedures and stock rotation according to established procedures. Preparing, planning and cooking meals to a consistently high standard, taking account of any special requests or dietary requirements within the unit. Serving service users, staff and visitors with food and beverage in a professional and courteous services manner. Preparing and producing foods for conferences and banquets. Participating in food costings through effective cost control procedures.

Main duties of the job

As a Second Chef at The Spinney, you will be part of a dynamic kitchen team responsible for crafting daily meals for both service users and staff. You will work 37.5 hours a week in a supportive kitchen environment, where innovation and creativity in food preparation are encouraged. This role offers the opportunity to cater for various activities, events, and special occasions throughout the year, providing you with the chance to display your culinary skills with flair. You'll be tasked with daily food preparation, planning, and adhering to food hygiene regulations, while also taking shift responsibility for the catering operation. The role ensures interaction with people outside the kitchen, contributing to a balanced work-life by ensuring you're home for dinner every night with two days off weekly. Responsibilities include maintaining food storage procedures, supporting the Head Chef, participating in food cost control, and ensuring food quality and adherence to dietary requirements and food hygiene standards.

About us

Elysium Healthcare is a prominent provider of care services, employing over 8,000 people. With an extensive network of over 80 services across England and Wales, Elysium offers a range of mental health, neurological, learning disabilities, autism, and children & education services. Elysium Healthcare is committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment and is a Disability Confident employer. As part of Ramsay Health Care, a global network spanning 10 countries, Elysium ensures vast opportunities for professional development. Recognised by the Association of Psychological Therapies, the team at The Spinney has achieved positive outcomes in reinforcing constructive behavior and effective interventions in secure settings. Elysium aims to foster a positive work environment with a focus on employee well-being, offering comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities. Working at The Spinney means joining a multidisciplinary team in an environment recognized for successful interventions and positive service user outcomes.

Details

• Date posted: 16 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £26,384 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 1527024800
• Job locations: Elysium Healthcare, Atherton, M46 9NT, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Ready for a chef role that lets you unleash your creativity? If so, join The Spinney as a Second Chef working alongside a dedicated team.

Become a crucial part of the kitchen team working 37.5 a week, crafting daily meals for service users, staff and visitors. Dive into food preparation and elevate your role by providing guidance and training to your peers.

Here’s the exciting part- the calendar is buzzing with activities, events and special occasions which you’ll also cater for. From World Food Day to festive moments like Christmas and Easter, you get to infuse your own flair and keep things exciting.

It’s a calm and pleasurable working environment, where you’ll be able to manage your workload and enjoy creating delicious meals. There’s a great social aspect to this role where you can interact with people outside the kitchen regularly.

Just imagine… great job satisfaction, home in time for dinner every night and two days off a week. Now that’s a recipe for a balanced work-life combo.

As a Chef you will be:

• Supporting the Head Chef for the day-to-day running of the kitchen.
• Maintaining good food storage procedures and stock rotation according to established procedures.
• Preparing, planning and cooking meals to a consistently high standard, taking account of any special requests or dietary requirements within the unit.
• Serving service users, staff and visitors with food and beverage in a professional and courteous services manner.
• Preparing and producing foods for conferences and banquets.
• Participating in food costings through effective cost control procedures.
• Adhering to the ‘Safer Food Better Business’ standards and record keeping.
• Adhering strictly to Food Hygiene Regulations and other safety procedures at all times.
• Taking full shift responsibility for the catering operation
• Assisting the Head Chef by researching and creating new menus ensuring meals are of a high quality and compliment healthy eating guidelines.
• Correctly filing of all paperwork in relation to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) i.e. Fridge temperatures, food temperature logs and cleaning schedules

To be successful in this role, you'll need:

• To be 18 years or older
• GCSE or equivalent English
• City & Guilds 706/1 and 2 (or equivalent) Basic Food Preparation Cooking
• Basic Food Hygiene (essential)
• Intermediate Food hygiene (desirable)
• Previous experience in a similar environment
• Previous experience in delivering a service on mass
• Menu planning, costing, ordering, stock control and budget experience

Where you will be working:

Location:

You will be working at The Spinney, a service which offer a range of care settings for male patients with personality disorder and/or mental illness. The purpose-built medium, low secure and rehabilitation wards, as well as a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) are all set within an 11 acre site with extensive woodland and landscaped areas.

You will be working alongside a multidisciplinary team at The Spinney who have previously been recognised by the Association of Psychological Therapies (APT) for their ability to reinforce positive behaviour, prevention of challenging behaviour and successful interventions in a secure care setting.

What You’ll Get

At Elysium Healthcare, we believe in taking care of the people who care for others, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and future:

• Annual base salary of £26,384
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) – plus your birthday off and the option to buy additional annual leave, in our annual selection window.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely-Vate; Your one-stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub!
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time
• Pension contribution, to help secure your future
• Free/subsidised meals and onsite/local free parking

About your next employer:

Elysium Health care has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 80 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move.

Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally.

Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure